Real-life experience
The Stanford Prison Experiment — one of the strangest experiments in history! In a study that sparked widespread controversy, the great American psychologist Philip Zimbardo conducted a famous experiment called the “Stanford University Prison.”
He divided a group of students into two groups: one group played the role of prisoners and the other as guards, in a basement of Stanford University that was set up to look like a prison. He constructed the scenario to the point where the “prisoners” were taken from their homes handcuffed, by the students playing the roles of guards who wore police officer uniforms.
The only rule in the game was: no rules… the guards could take any measures they liked without any accountability of any kind. The result was catastrophic, sparking a wide ethical debate in academic circles.
He observed with concern the terrifying transformation that occurred among the guards who felt no accountability for their actions. He was shocked as he watched them on surveillance screens, seeing how they began to behave roughly and violently to the point of torturing their peers, despite being known for their civility, calmness, and academic excellence that led them to this prestigious university.
He stopped the experiment immediately… He concluded something that is now present in all social psychology references, which is that “absolute authority brings out the worst in human nature.”